Republic of Finland (Finland Superpower)
The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta; Swedish: Republiken Finland; Italian: Repubblica di Finlandia, nella penisola scandinava) or Finland, is a country covering the large expanse of Eastern Europe. It borders the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union, the European Union, and Switzerland. Helsinki is the capital city of the Republic of Finland. The country is considered a union of many other previous countries. 224,683,595 people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the Italian and the Ukrainian parts of the country. At 3,622,565 km² (1,398,682 sq mi), it is the third largest country in Europe after the Soviet Union and the European Union, in terms of area, and the third most populated. The official languages for most of the population is Finnish, Swedish or Italian, although Polish, Slavic Russian, and Romanian are accepted. Finland is a Constitutional republic, with a mostly Helsinki-based central government. A total of 2 million residents live in Greater Helsinki area, and over 50% of the country's Gross Domestic Product is produced there. The largest city is Kiev with 25 million residents, which is by far the largest city in Europe. Other major cities includes Warsaw with 4.3 million, Vienna with 3.6 million (5 million in the metropolitan area), Rome with 3.1 million (4.3 million in the metropolian area), and Milan with 2.6 million (10 million in the metropolian area). Finland was historically a part of Sweden and from 1829 an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire. Finland's declaration of independence from Russia in 1881 was followed by several territorial acquisitions, include Norway, Sweden, and territories of Russia and Germany, during World War I. Finland has been ranked the most stable country in the world, in a survey based on social, economic, political, and military indicators. Finland was a relative early bloomer to industrialization, starting off as a highly advance technological society since the 1930s. Thereafter economic development was rapid, and the country reached the world's top income levels in the 1970s. Between 1970 and 1990, Finland built an extensive welfare state. In the aftermath of the severe depression of the early 1950s, successive governments have reformed the Finnish economic system through some privatisation, deregulation, and tax cuts. Finland has a excellent standing in many international comparisons of national performance such as the share of high-technology manufacturing and universal health care. It remains the most powerful country in the world today, and from 1943 with the Soviet Union the two dominated world superpowers. Finland has since the early to mid-1940s developed weapons of mass destuction, and possesses the second largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction in the world, with over 32,000 nuclear warheads. Finland maintains a global professional military force, and its surface fleet of ten modern nuclear-powered supercarriers are by far the largest in the world, only matched by the Soviet Navy. History Prehistory According to archaeological evidence, the area now composing Finland was settled at the latest around 8750 BCE during the Stone Age as the ice shield of the last ice age receded. The artifacts the first settlers left behind present characteristics that are shared with those found in Estonia, Russia and Norway. The earliest people were hunter-gatherers, using stone tools. There is also evidence of carved stone animal heads. The first pottery appeared in 3500 BCE when settlers from the East brought in the Comb Ceramic culture. The arrival of the Corded Ware culture in southern coastal Finland between 3,250–2,500 BCE coincided with the start of agriculture. Even with the introduction of agriculture, hunting and fishing continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country. The Bronze Age (1500–500 BCE) and Iron Age (500 BCE–1200 CE) were characterized by extensive contacts with other cultures in the Fennoscandian and Baltic regions. There is no consensus on when Finno-Ugric languages and Indo-European languages were first spoken in the area of contemporary Finland. Swedish era (1249-1701) Swedish speaking settlers arrived in the coastal regions during the medieval time. Swedish kings established their rule in 1309. The area of present day Finland became fully consolidated part of the Swedish kingdom. Swedish became the dominant language of the nobility, administration and education; Finnish was chiefly a language for the peasantry, clergy and local courts in predominantly Finnish-speaking areas. The Bishop of Turkus was the most socially preeminent person in Finland before the Reformation. During the Reformation, the Finns gradually converted to Lutheranism. In the 16th century, Mikael Agricola published the first written works in Finnish. The first university in Finland, The Royal Academy of Turkus, was established in 1642. Self rule (1701-1829) In the late 17th century, the Royalty was greatly increasing taxes, then Finland suffered a severe famine in 1695-1699 and almost one third of the population died. As a result, the Finnish people revolted against their Swedish royal rulers, and established a Republic. It mimicked the Roman empire, which the new ruler greatly admired. Their new leader, Pitkä Kalalinja, was scholar and teacher from The Royal Academy of Turkus, who personally engineered the storming of the castle which held the royal Swedish family. Within two years, the republic of Finland was established, and the remaining royals were exiled. Finland frequently battled with the Russian Empire to remain independent. Through his life, Pitkä Kalalinja promoted higher education and free will. He was said to have been working on making Finland into a revolutionary new democracy, just before he died in 1731. Russian control (1829-1889) Throughout the 1860s and 70s, numerous attempts to separate from Russia where made by the Finnish council. The Finnish Famine of 1867-1869 had greatly caused damage to the Grand Duchy, killing more than 160,000 Finns. Hopes for separation from the Russian ran high afterwards, as both the financial and industrial sectors of the country rebounded quickly. Finally, on December 26, 1881, Finland officially declared war on Russia for its independence. What became known as the Second Finnish Revolution lasted for little over three years. The Finnish economy was largely active, having prepared for such an event. Russia began to lose interest in keeping the northern territory after repeated attempts to overpower the resistance had failed. The Empire became more concerned over the famine in Eastern Ukraine, which had lead to large food storages in Saint Petersburg and the armies currently engaged in the war against Finland. Eventually, Russia allowed for Finland to claim victory over its battle for independence on March 15, 1884, and surrendered. Republic of Finland (1889-Present) After the Revolution, the position of Finland as part of Europe remained undetermined. Since the head of state was the Czar of Russia, it was not clear who was the chief executive of Finland after the revolution. The Provisional Government still enforced Russian laws, which in the newly formed country had little resemblance over it's original laws. In effect, the original Finnish laws from the last Finnish government where re-instated, with a Constitution that ensured no undermining of the political system by public enemies. New elections were conducted, in which left wing parties won a slim majority. Capitalism for everyone became the new name of the game for a recovering Monarchy system, which had demanded high taxes, and gave low wages. Finland largely focused on becoming highly advanced and industrialized society, in time. World War I During World War I, Finland fought Russia three times: in the First Winter War of 1902–03, the Battle of Karelia of 1904, and the Second Winter War of 1906–07, the last of the three wars and battles. After fighting a major Russian offensive, Finland sought territorial acquisitions, having annexed Norway in 1889. Sweden had been hard hit in the war, since the fighting between Britain and Germany had restricted desperately needed supplies, especially during the winter. Finland came up with an offer, since it had ties with other countries and supplies. It proposed that Sweden give over it's land and governmental system, and be annexed in a dual union, which would allow Sweden's people access to supplies. Within two months, Sweden relented, and was annexed on July 14, 1903, under the government of Finland. The sequences of wars against Russia ended on August 9, 1907, with treaties being signed on the following day. The Russian Empire gave away the land area around the White Sea, half of the Karelia area, and the Kola Peninsula which become part of Finland's oil fields for the next three decades. The area had been sought by Finland for the remainder of the Second Winter War, seeking it for its resources which where needed to fuel the industrialized nation. Russia wasn't easy on the terms, and instilled a border act that prevented anyone coming in or out of Finland. After the World War I, Finland emerged as a military and economic great power, which would later led to the rise of Finland as a global superpower after the World War II. Soviet Union The November Revolution in Russia further distanced the already void ties between Russia and Finland. With Communism in place in the country, the new Soviet Union found Finland both an enemy and a statement against there ideals. This gap between countries would only continue to grow for decades to come. Even after the Soviet Union took the territories of the Slavic countries, and annexed Communist Iran along with others; the tension between Finland and Russia continued to build. Yet, it was more economic competition, rather than military. Finland was and is not a militaristic state, more of economic superpower. World War II (1938-1943) Main article: World War II Seeing the sea as a major territorial advantage, Finland sought out in improving the Finnish Navy, frequently researching the German U-Boats and employing anti-Nazi German scientist, such as Albert Einstein. More important, the Finnish Navy commissioned large aircraft carriers, and had built a large fleet consisting of heavy cruisers and battleships. The Finnish Navy grew from a small naval defense force to the third largest navy in the world, only surpassed by the Soviet Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy. During World War II, Iceland joined Denmark in asserting neutrality. Iceland had very little military protection, and Finland immediately attempted to gain control over Iceland, seeing it as a large factor in their ocean territorial expansion. The first waves of the Invasion of Iceland was set in motion on July 4, 1940. The immediate casualties from the battle were on the majority from Iceland's side, up to 200. The invasion was so swift, that the planed Second Wave was canceled. The occupation lasted for the rest of the war, until May 8, 1944, when Iceland was annexed as an administrative province of Finland. Denmark would later be occupied, on August 7, 1940, and later annexed by Finland, as a tactical region against Germany. Poland was under occupation by Germany, which small rebellions were frequently held around the country, mostly in the North where there was small territorial resistance pockets. Poland forged an alliance with the rebellion, and invaded German-occupied Poland within the following month, on August 19, 1941. Finland offer it's full participation in repelling German forces, if it accept being attempted as a province under Finnish rule. Under high attacks for the German offense, the rebels and the Polish government agreed to the terms. Soon afterward, Germany declared war with the Finland offense, and it lasted for eleven months. The countries of Britain and Soviet Union equally attempted to undermine the German economy by counterfeit money and sabotages. By June 1942, Germany began focusing on controlling the riots and resistances in France and Belgium. Finland, allied with Poland and Czechoslovakian resistance, managed to repel the German invasion and occupation. Finland, now with the recently acquired province of Poland, focused on taking on Italy. Taking on Italy was no easy matter, there army was large and nearly equaled the size of the Finnish army. Finland began focusing on using its navy, and formed an alliance with Britain against Italy. The first major attacks against Italy occurred on January 1, 1942, around Sicily and Sardinia. Whereas progress on those islands were initially good, the Italian mainland proved more difficult. The Italian defensive was beginning to weaken by March, yet Finland's army reserves where quickly being depleted, as the rest of the army where focused on Finland's defense. On April 4, 1943, Finland scientists, such as Einstein, successfully tested and exploded the first atomic bomb over the Kola Peninsula. Two days later, it was used during the atomic bombings of Milan, Trento and Florence on the city's of Milan and Trento Trento, in the provinces of Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige. Italy did not initially surrender until the last of three atomic bombs was dropped nearby the city of Florence, on April 9th. Italy official surrendered three days later, on April 12. Finland annexed it as an administrative province the following day. Einstein later regretted working on the project in developing the nuclear weapon. The founding of an empire (1943-1979) After World War II, Finland mainly focused on economic growth in the new innovative fields of science and technology. Having employed certain notable scientist during the war, Finland found new projects for their most intelligent to work on. When peak oil was established, many companies sought alternative fuels, seeing a possible oil crisis in the future. In 1949, the first test runs of an electric car were conducted, more or less faring well. The real progression would be made the year later, with the invention of the catalytic converter, which help give away to both automobiles that function on water, and with electricity. Within that year, the electric car was first produced, privately for a small group of fortunate buyers in the Helsinki Car Show. The real effect of the electric car would take longer to sink in, taking over twenty years to fully conquer the car market. By 1960, the electric car had gained public appeal and were being sold in the thousands. Since oil fields in the northern part of Finland had been taped out, people found that electric cars were not only practical and environment friendly, but also affordable. Electric cars became the majority of the cars in the country in 1965, and by 1978, over 90% of cars were electric. Electric cars are now, today, the most used form of an automobile. For the next few years, Finland continuously focused on structuring it's recently acquired mass expanse. The economic strength of the nation would be challenged when a major stock market crash leveled most growth since the war. On October 10, 1958, nearly one-seventh of the entire Stock market of Finland was lost in a panic that started amiss fears of inflation and overproduction in the agriculture sector. For the next few weeks, stocks continued to plunge, taking a turn for the worse for the electric car and other newly introduced inventions. However, by the end of 1959, stocks were making a large rebound as the Helsinki Stock Exchange saw a 65% increase. The technology market quickly made a comeback into both the social, political and business scene. The economic depression hit the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union with the most force, whereas Finland's economy was briefly sidetracked. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union had already designed a space program back in the mid-1950, however, it faced setbacks during the recession. Finland decide to make into it's own space program, and with that, entered the space race. By 1961, over five orbital rockets had been launched, and within eleven months, Finland exceed U.S.S.R. in the total number of space vehicles put into outer space and into orbit around the earth. Plans for a manned mission to the moon were soon announced in 1962, with the Soviet Union stating similar intentions later on. Finland continued to advance in the race, and by March 1963, it had launched a manned AS-10 (Avaruu Salusta) rocket towards the moon. On March 10, 1963, Finland became the first and only country to land human beings on the moon. The country would continue to return there in 1964, 1965, and 1971, and in January of 2005, A lunar outpost named Tasavalta 1 was established. There is currently a space colony named Uusi Suomi (Finnish for "New Finland") set to launch in 2011. Modern times (1979-Present) Since Finland has celebrated it's centennial in 1981, economic, health, and demographic conditions have been on a steady increase. Finland continues to have one of the best living conditions in the world. Its status as the world sole remaining superpower has help it improve it international image, as Finland is the most popular tourist destination in the world, renowned for its food, technological splendor, and low fees. The quality of life in Finland continues to be one of the highest in the world. Half of voters are estimated to be over 50 years old. Unlike most European countries, without further reforms or much higher immigration, Finland is expected to improve with demographics, as macroeconomic projections are healthier than in most other developed countries. In 1987, the Verkko (or the Network) was established, the first system involving a network of computers. First upgraded on April 10th of that year, it has since grown to accommodate the entire world. In a UN Economic Report in 1989, the organization downgraded the Soviet Union to a great power, this left Finland as the only superpower in the world until the late 1990s, when USSR once again was upgraded to an superpower due to economic growth and reforms. Along with the Verkko, cell phones have been largely popular among the technological aware people of Finland. Introduced on September 10, 1992, they have since become the most used from of communication in the country and the rest of Europe, including such countries as France, Britain, and Spain. Several music movements like Gerash and Progressive rock dominated from 1993 to the late 1990s. In 1991, the Soviet Union was transformed into the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics of the Soviet Union, and under Michail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union underwent an large modernization program and economic reforms with the three now well-known words glasnost ''(political openness), ''uskoreniye (speed-up of economic development), and perestroika (political and economic restructuring). Gorbachev's campaign was very succesful, and between 1991 and 1998 the Soviet GDP increased from $2.9 trillion to $10 trillion, and was once again upgraded to an economic and military superpower by UN in 1999. This left the Soviet Union and Finland as the only two world superpowers. Recently, Finland has been working on improving it's already great economy, since it has doubled in less than 15 years, and talks between Britain and Germany and changing the structure of Europe. In 2005, numerous magazine and official censuses listed Finland as the #1 best place in the world, in terms of quality standards in living conditions, economy, law system, structure, and political power. Geography and environment Topography and geology Since Finland cover virtually all of the mid-eastern part of Europe, its terrain varies in many ways. Original native Finland, the Tasavalta province, has thousands of lakes and islands, over 180,000 lakes and 170,000 islands. One of these lakes, Saimaa, is the fourth largest in Europe. The Province's landscape is mostly flat with few hills, and its highest point, the Halti at 1,324 metres. The landscape is covered mostly (seventy-five percent of land area) by coniferous taiga forests and fens, with little arable land. The most common type of rock is granite. Moraine or till is the most common type of soil, covered by a thin layer of humus of biological origin. Gleysols and peat bogs occupy poorly drained areas. The greater part of the islands are found in the southwest in the Archipelago Sea, part of the archipelago of the Åland Islands, and along the southern coast in the Gulf of Finland. Outside the Tasavalta province, lies the Province of Poland; or Province of Puola, in Finnish. Poland’s geography extends across several geographical regions. In the northwest is the Baltic seacoast, which extends from the Bay of Pomerania to the Gdańsk Bay. This coast is marked by several spits, coastal lakes (former bays that have been cut off from the sea), and dunes. The largely straight coastline is indented by the Szczechin Lagoon, the Bay of Puck, and the Vistula Lagoon. The center and parts of the north lie within the North European Plain. Rising gently above these lowlands is a geographical region comprising the four hilly districts of moraines and moraine-dammed lakes formed during and after the Pleistocene ice age. These lake districts are the Pomeranian Lake District, the Greater Polish Lake District, the Kashubian Lake District, and the Masurian Lake District. The Masurian Lake District is the largest of the four and covers much of northeastern Poland. The lake districts form part of the Baltic Ridge, a series of moraine belts along the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. South of the Northern European Lowlands lie the regions of Silesia and Masovia, which are marked by broad ice-age river valleys. Farther south lies the Polish mountain region, including the Sudetes, the Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, and the Carpathian Mountains, including the Beskids. The highest part of the Carpathians is the Tatra Mountains, along Poland’s southern border. Category:Nations (Finland Superpower) Category:Finland (Finland Superpower) Category:Finland Superpower